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B.C.’s Climate Action Plan must be bold

Sierra Club BC today released an open letter from Executive Director Bob Peart to Premier Christy Clark encouraging her government to be bold in updating B.C.’s Climate Action Plan.

Jun 18, 2015

VICTORIA- Sierra Club BC today released an open letter from Executive Director Bob Peart to Premier Christy Clark encouraging her government to be bold in updating B.C.’s Climate Action Plan.

“Concrete, meaningful steps to combat climate change could return B.C. to its former position as a global climate leader, a position the Province has relinquished in recent years,” said Peart. “Sierra Club BC encourages your government to be bold in developing a Climate Action Plan that will genuinely restore B.C.’s leadership position both in Canada and throughout the world.”

Although Sierra Club BC is hopeful about the newly announced Climate Leadership Team, Peart expressed grave doubts that meeting emissions reductions targets will be possible given the provincial government’s pursuit of further LNG development.

“Building three LNG terminals would result in an extra 36 million tonnes per year of greenhouse gases (representing more than 50 per cent of B.C.’s officially reported emissions),” said Peart. “Five terminals would produce 75 million tonnes extra—almost 20 per cent more than B.C.’s entire 2013 reported emissions. Simply put, the development of an LNG export industry is incompatible with any serious approach to tackling climate change.”

The letter makes a series of recommendations to the government and the newly formed Climate Leadership Team:

Legislate a coherent 2030 B.C. emissions reduction target.

Increase and expand B.C.’s carbon tax.

Subject fossil fuel exports to the carbon tax or an equivalent levy.

Redirect fossil fuel subsidies to the low carbon economy; support a transition strategy for workers.

Establish a ‘climate test,’ a mandatory assessment of total greenhouse gas emissions, for energy infrastructure proposals.

Designate permanent carbon sink reserves for ‘unburnable carbon.’

“Sierra Club BC is confident that, in implementing the initiatives outlined above, British Columbia will indeed be restored to its position of global climate leadership,” said Peart. “We strongly encourage your government to be bold in tackling the challenge of climate change and we thank you for establishing the Climate Leadership Team.”